Method of manufacturing electrical conductors.



W. P. BOVARD. METHOD OF MANUFACTURING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.27, I916. 1,220,596.

Patented Mall. 27, IIIIT.

ZSHEEIS-SHEEI I.

an uamfoz WILLIAM P. BOVARD fllggvifmemejg (litmus 1 1 W. P. BOVARD. METHOD OF MANUFACTURING ELECTRICAL c0 NDUCTORS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-27.19%.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG. 8

D MR m 10 B 0 M M L M W witnaooea Z227 human swarms rnrnwr onnron.

WILLIAM F. BOVARD, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO BRASS COMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF M.A.NUFACTURING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2?, 1917.

Application filed September 27, 1916. Serial No. 122,417.

To all? whom it may concern."

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM P. Bovann,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Ric'hland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Method of Manufacturing Electrical Conductors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to that class of electrical conductors known as rail bonds for joining the adjacent ends of rails to make the rail circuit complete.

My device is of that class of rail bonds which is constructed of a flexible body and the operations to which the parts are subjected.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of a finished bond.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation. View of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one form of the flexible body before assembling in the terminal member.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of one form of terminal at one stage of manufacture and the iormshown is adapted to assemble with the body shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is anend View of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an edgewise view of Fig. 4: looking toward the lower edge of Fig. 4:.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of Fig. 4: talgen on line 7-7.

Fig. 8 is a plan view-of the parts represented by Figs. 3 and 4 assembled and the flanges turned over and onto the body.

Fig. 9 is a sectional View of Fig. 8 on the line 9-9 showing the lips or flanges turned down and compressed into place cold and also before turning down by the dotted lines.

Fig. 10 is a plan of my invention after the assembled parts shown in Fig. .9 have been heated and welded.

Fig, 11 is a sectional view of Fig. 10 on the line 11.11, showing the solid condition after welding.

Fig. 12 is an end elevation View of the finished bond attached to a rail.

A description of the method which I use in producing my bond shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in which numeral 1 designates the body member and numeral 2 designates the terminals, is as follows:

I first produce a flexible body member, preferably of copper, which may belpoxr structed in various wa s, for instance.,-l may take a short length of cable composed pf aplurality of wires and bend it to the proper shape, or I may take a single wire of small diameter and wind it upon itself on a form until the correct size or capacity is secured or I may follow the method which will produce a body shown by Fig. 3 which consists in winding upon itself a ribbon of copper on a form. It will be noted that in the two latter methods the body forms a closed loop while in the first method mentioned the body has adjacent ends.

I now forge up a single or composite terminal of such shape and size as to meet my requirements, depending to a large degree upon the manner in which the bond is to be attached to the rail.

One form of terminal is shown nlhg. 4 and is adapted in the finished bond to be applied to the rail by welding or soldering. In the terminal which I now produce I combine thetwo terminals 2 into one. By making the two in one I reduce the number of operations in making the completed bond to nearly one half the operations otherwise re quired, as will be readily recognized by one skilled in the art. It is the practice in'the manufacture of other bonds to make the two terminals separate and attach to the body by separate operations.

The terminal shown in Fig. i consists of the attaching member 4 and the projection 5 frovided with a groove 6. This form of erminal can be produced readily by means of dies and a drop hammer.

It is quite desirable to inclose thebody 1 by means of the terminal walls and for that 1 the two parts togetherrare secured however enter the terminal as shown in Fig. 1 and,

loose same as they enter farther and finally become welded togctluer and to the terminal member.

I now have a combination of a tlexil'vle body and terminal welded togetherand forming a complete loop without ends as indicated in Fig. 10, a section of which on the line 1111 is shown in Fig. 1]. It now remains to cut through the single terminal on the line 11-11 and spread the two parts slightly and we have a complete bond ready for application.

The particular bond herein shown is well adapted'to be attached to the rail by means of the oxyacetylene or electric flame as shown in Fig. 12 in which the attaching metal is designated by 8.

The method of manufacturing rail bonds or electrical conductors as described and shown is subject to modifications without departing from the scope of my claims and I do not wish to be limited to the exact description and drawings herein disclosed, but what I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The method of forming an electrical conductor having a flexible body member and two terminal members, consisting in forming a solid terminal having a groove therein with extended walls to form flanges to encircle and inelosc the body member, insorting a portion of the body member in the groove and bending the flanges over onto the body member cold to encircle the body member, heating the parts and integrally uniting them together in a varying degree of intimacy, then cutting the solid terminal member forming thercbytwo oppositely disposed terminals.

2. The method of forming an electrical conductor having a flexible body member and terminal members which consists in forming a. single terminal having a groove therein and extended flanges, pressing a portion of the body in the groove while cold, heating the parts and welding them into an integral union'hcn cutting the single terminal to form two oppositely disposed termin ls attached to the ends of a flexible body.

3. A method of forming an electrical ronductor having a flexible body and a terminal member at each end thereof, consisting i forming up a solid terminal consisting of two terminals in one and having a groove therein with extended walls to form flanges to encircle and inclose the body member and having a projection formed therewith for attachment to a rail; inserting a portion of the body member in the groove and bending the flanges over onto the body member to encircle the body member; compress ing the parts strongly together cold; heating the parts and welding them under pressure to form an integral union and then cutting the terminal member, forming thereby a conductor having a terminal at each end.

4. The method of forming an electrical conductor having a flexible body member and a terminal member on each end of the body, consisting in forming a body constituting a closed member by winding up strand until the desired capacity is secured, then forming up a single terminal member having a groove for receiving a. portion of the body member. then compressing the body into the groove to secure internal contact,

heating the parts and welding together and.

then cutting the single terminal to form two oppositely disposed terminals attached to the ends of a flexible body.

5. The method of forming an electrical conductor having a flexible body member and a terminal member on each end of the body. consisting in forming the bodyv of a plurality of strands, then inclosing a portion of the body in a single terminal forging, con'ipressing the forging about the body to form an intimate contact and expel the air, then heating the parts and welding them together in a. varying degree of intimacy. then cutting through the single terminal forming thereby a terminal on each end of the, flexible body.

6. The method of forming an electrical conductor having a flexible body member and a terminal member on each end of the body, consisting in forming the body of a. plurality of members. then forming a single terminal member, welding a portion of the terminal and body member together in a varying degree of intimacy, then cutting the single terminal thereby forming a terminal on each end of the body.

7. The method of forming an electrical conduct-or having a flexible body member and a terminal member on each end of the body and provided with a flat face and projecting portions adapted to be welded to a rail, consisting in forming a body of aplurality of members then forming up a single terminal member provided with a. flat surface and projecting portions for contacting with a rail surface and having means mambo for mceiving riho body, then heating and iniegmizy umiing the single termmal and boy together in a varying degree of intimoey, then cutting the single,- terminal to form a terminal on each end of the body.

8. The mobbed of forming an electrical oondueor having a flexible body member zm a terminal member on each encl of'the body, consisting in forming a flexible body,

than forming up a single terminal from metal having awelding point approximately the same the body and having means for receiving the body, Welding a portion of the berminal and body member together, then cutting; the single tormi-na to form a terminal on'each'end of'the body,

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM P. BUVARD. Witnesses:

"Rm: G. AVERLLL, W. W. HUNZIQEER. 

